For Him, For Her
by A Memory Of Wings
Summary: A village where there is peace between demon and human. Unfortunatly Gyokumen Koushu has given the village's leader an ultimatum; capture and turn over that Sanzo party or the village will be destroyed. But what happens when love and friendships blossom?
1. A Jypsy's Power

A sun burned high, the fiery orb blazing in the midst of a cool blue sky, golden light filtering through the thick canopy of the forest below. Heat rose from the ground like a blanket and most did their best to keep still and silent to fend of the thick, encasing heat. Most...but not all..... "Shut up!" "Make me shut up you little monkey!" "I'm not a monkey jerkwad!" "Haven't you seen your face you little fag?"  
  
"Dream on pervert!" Sanzo's eye twitched with irritation in the front seat.

"What the hell are they even arguing about?" He muttered in irritation to Hakkai. Hakkai just smiled peacefully.

"I don't think anything. I'm pretty sure they just started up out of no where a few minutes ago."

"I'm hungry." Goku had paused in his arguing to lean over the seat. "When are we gonna stop and get some lunch. It's been hours since I've had anything to eat."

"I've got-" Gojyo started then paused as Sanzo's gun leveled with his head.

"Start up again and I'll shoot you. And you-" he turned to glare at Goku "Sit back or I'm going to-" He was cut of as the jeep slammed to a halt and the gun fell from his hand.

Goku went flying forward to smack against the front of the car, kicking Gojyo in the face in the process and landed in Sanzo's lap. "Hakkai! What the hell?" Goku sat up rubbing his head.

"We've got a road block apparently." Hakkai answered, eyes fixed straight ahead.

A brown-cloaked figure sat astride an armored white horse; shadow encasing the stranger's face. What wasn't any mistake of their intention however was the bow that was level with them, arrow docked and drawn back taunt and ready to be fired. The horse shifted nervously under the stranger.

"Get out of our way now and spare yourself the effort." Sanzo said with obvious impatience. A young demon boy stepped forward from the cloaking shade of the forest. The boy looked no older then 13 with tawny hair and clear blue eyes. The boy's face was expressionless as he watched the group.

"You are the Sanzo party?" He asked.

"And you're in our way." Sanzo replied haughtily.

"You will come with us peacefully and we will not harm you." The boy said ignoring Sanzo's words.

"Oh please let me take them!" Goku said raising up excitedly from his seat. Hakkai smiled his amusement.

"He'll whine forever if we don't let him Sanzo."

Sanzo sighed. "Fine."

"Oh yea!" Goku jumped up. "Take this!" jumped at the boy bringing his nyoibou down on the boy's head but the cloaked stranger on the horse moved fast, turning his horse so it blocked the demon boy and released the arrow at the same second.

The shaft erupted into dark gold light and struck Goku's weapon sending him backwards to strike a tree back first. The rider had another arrow set and ready instantly and backed his horse from infront of the boy slowly as Goku sat up growling and shaking leaves out of his head.

"How the hell did he do that?"

"I think there's more to all this then a simple raid." Hakkai said with mild interest.

"You have your options." The boy said tonelessly. "Come with us now or die."

"I've had just about enough of this." Sanzo said standing.

"Me too." Hakkai agreed.

The four of them moved at once. Sanzo fired of a round which hit the horse and let out a cry as it disinerated. The figure on it dropped rolled but moved in time to shelter the young demon boy against Gojyo's shakujo with another arrow. At the same time one of Hakkai's ki-attacks struck him in the side and he released a light grunt as he fell sharply to the side, bow falling from his hands, Goku snatching it up. The stranger whipped around to look at the boy whose eyes had widened with shock. He made a gesture and the boy hesitated, frowned then turned and fled in tot he forest.

"Go after him!" Sanzo snapped. But the boy was gone already. Sanzo snarled his irritation and leveled his gun with the stranger's head. "Who are you? Show us your face."

The stranger shifted and lifted his head and the four blinked in surprise.

"It's a....woman." Gojyo said in shock.

"You're human." Hakkai said easily.

The girl's blue eyes snapped with fury and she sat up, shaking the pale braid the color of corn silk, back behind her shoulder. "Very perceptive aren't you."

"I don't like her. Maybe we should just kill her and get it over with." Sanzo said though he lowered the gun a bit.

"You have such a way with the ladies." Gojyo mused quietly.

"If you're going to kill me I wish you'd hurry." She said her tone lightly polite now as she sat patiently. She glanced around as none of then moved and sighed. "If you don't attack me I'm going to feel very bad about killing all of you."

"She sounds a lot like you Sanzo." Hakkai said cheerfully from the car.

"Shut up." Sanzo said testily. "Arg!" The grunt came as the girl brought a foot around and it connected with his shin. She leapt back out of his way and moved to drive a punch towards him. He caught her wrist, twisted it and pinned her, locking her own arm around her chest, lifting the gun to level with her face again. "Do that again and I will kill you. Now I want some answers."

The girl said nothing but set him with a blue gaze that flashed dark azure fire, the glare wavered however as a child's voice rang through the trees. "Jilly!"

The woman's gasp was audible and she swung her eyes up towards Sanzo again. "Please." Voice quietly pleading. Eyes nervous.

"Sanzo?" Goku questioned from where he stood, his weapon lowered easily.

"She doesn't understand...." The woman broke of and just pleaded with her eyes as the child's voice rang out through the trees again.

Sanzo glared. "If you run I won't hesitate to shoot you." He warned.

She nodded. "I swear." He released her but hovered near to enforce the threat. She rubbed her wrist but didn't move and forced a smile as a little demon girl of about 4 broke through the bushes. She hesitated at the sight of the 4 men and walked around them before rushing into the blonde woman's arms.

"Jilly." She whimpered and cuddled closer as the woman lifted the child up into her arms.

"What's wrong baby?" the woman asked in a falsely cheerful voice that seemed to ease the child's worry.

"My thumb." She held out the mentioned digit to the woman

"Your thumb? Well let me see." She took the girl's finger. "It's just a scratch. Here." She dropped a light kiss on the child's thumb. "There. Better?"

The girl giggled and nodded. "Yes." She peeked around the woman at Sanzo then at Hakkai, Goku, and Gojyo who watched with curiosity before whispering loudly. "Are you coming home soon?"

The woman nodded. "I'll be there later. Go find your mother baby before she starts worrying." The girl shook her head and stuck her thumb in her mouth.

"I wanna stay."

"Be a good girl Lain and do as I say." She kissed the girl's nose then set her down. "Or else we'll both be in trouble with your mother. Very frightening."

She made a face and the child laughed then glanced over at Gojyo. "Be careful of him. Maiya told me about men with red hair." She said in a serious tone.

"What about men with red hair?" The child shuffled forward to whisper in the woman's hair and she smiled then nodded. "I'll be sure to stay clear then."

The child nodded her acceptance; cast a look at the group then before turning and running of into the forest again. The woman straightened and turned to look at them and a warm smile blossomed across her face.

"Thank you."

"We aren't finished here yet." Sanzo said. "Who are you?"

"My name is Jypsy."

"The little girl called you Jilly." Goyjo said from where head was leaning against a tree. The woman turned and lifted an eyebrow at him.

"She's 4. She can't pronounce my name correctly yet. Who in the world would name their daughter Jilly?"

"And why were you trying to kill us." Sanzo steered the interrogation back to the original point. Jypsy sighed.

"I wasn't trying to kill you. Well not at first anyway. We did give you a choice."

"Then what do you want from us?" Hakkai walked up to stand next to Sanzo.

"It's very complicated." Whatever else she might have said was cut of as an arrow cut through the forest to embed itself in the tree Gojyo had been leaning against heartbeats ago.

"My lady!" They turned to see armed arches moving from the shadow of the forest, arrows aimed variously at all 4 of the men. The armed party seemed to be a mixture of human, demon, and half- breeds. Jypsy turned as a brown horse galloped towards her and swung up into the saddle.


	2. A Place like Home

She looked down at them. "I won't take the chance of fighting up. Most of our arrows aren't normal and those that are, are laced with poison that would take you down even with a scratch. We won't harm you if you'll come with us peacefully."

Sanzo glared at her as he lowered his gun. "You'll pay for this."

She smiled at him dazzelingly. "You're welcome to try if it makes you feel better. We'll talk later I'm sure." She turned the horse and rode past the half circle of men that moved to surround the party. "Let them get in their jeep. Then surround it and escort them to the village. I'll make sure everyone's out of the way. I want at least 12 archers on them at every heartbeat. If they so much as breath hostily I want pin cushions."

"Yes my lady!" A rough bearded man answered, pressed a fist to his heart in salute. The woman inclined her head, wheeled the horse and galloped away from them. The bearded man turned back "You heard her men! Move." He looked down at the Sanzo party then. "If you men would get back in your jeep and follow up please." The same polite command the woman had used.

Sanzo glowered a moment then walked back to climb up into the jeep. Goku and Gojyo stared in amazement before doing the same. Hakkai started the car and followed the leader of the band who nodded to the rest of his company.

"This is such a load of shit!" Goku growled irritated. "We can take these guys!"

"Perhaps not without injury but it's a good chance. Why are we following Sanzo?" Hakkai questioned.

"Because you were right. There's more to this then a raid and then the usual assassins sent after us. I want to get to the bottom of this and corpses can't talk."

"This is just great. I finally get a hold of a beautiful woman and I almost killed her." Gojyo sighed tragically.

"Can't you think of something else you pervert!?" Goku shouted at him.

"Just because you're monkey face can't attract dirt...."

"I've got dirt for you! How about if I pound you into it!"

"I'd like to see you try you little monkey!"

"I'm not a monkey!"

"Why must they do this now?" Sanzo muttered.

"You have to admit. It works of the tension." Hakkai laughed then fell serious again. "I think you're right though. I want to get to the bottom of all this as well."

* * *

The forest broke soon enough, the forest stopping suddenly to give way to a huge man-made glade that was host to a village, the trees apparently made into the small log huts that dotted that stone laid streets.

"What is this place?" Goku leaned over the jeep's edge to look over at a pair of demon boys playing with a group of human ones. A pair of demon woman hung landry over a short line out side their homes and smiled picking up a young human child who ran over with a scratched knee.

"I don't know. This doesn't make any sense. Why haven't-" Hakkai started.

"Look at those trees." Sanzo interrupted and pointed at the trees that surrounded the village perfectly. In the rough bark of it were carved intricate symbols, each one different as they traveled around in a wide ring that sheltered the village.

"What are those?" Gojyo questioned.

"My mother did them." The woman from before had returned, her horse now trotting at an easy pace beside the guarded jeep. "When the changes started sweeping the land she carved these runes into the trees that surrounded us. She's aged and cannot come out much. The sun sears her skin and the night air gives her chills. Still she drag her self out at dusk after dusk and dawn after dawn and worked to write these in the bark. It's what protected us." The four said nothing and she looked at them curiously then sighed. "I suppose you're still upset. I'm very sorry you know. It's complicated."

"So you've said." Sanzo replied.

She shook her head. "I'll explain soon. You're all probably hungry now. I have food ready for you."

"Alright!" Goku pumped a fist in the air despite himself.

"Sit down you little monkey." Gojyo said mildly.

"Shut up!"

Jypsy smiled in amusement then looked away from them towards the people who glanced over at the Sanzo party then away again and moved on. Children ignored them or paused to wave at Jypsy who smiled warmly in return. On boy with red hair and eyes like burning suns looked up at caught Goyjo's eye, smiled at him then picked up the ball he had run to fetch and returned to his game with a group of waiting boys. The company stopped at a larger wood hut near the glade's edge.

"Here." Jypsy said, climbing down from the horse. "If you gentlemen would be so kind as to follow me." She stood patiently watching them.

Goku was the first out. "I'm starved."

"Stupid little runt." Gojyo said following.

Jypsy smiled again and gestured. The archers lowered the weapons and cast the 4 men a distrustful gaze then dispersed, only two remaining to take places on either side of the door. Jypsy turned and moved back the heavy fur covering of the hut and walked in. The room inside was fairly large, another flap covered doorway sectioning of another room. A long, low table had been laid out with food, steaming meats and chilled fruit.

"Oh yea!" Goku dived on it.

"I suppose he never stopped to think it might be poisoned." Hakkai said with amusement.

"I wouldn't do that." The woman's tone was almost injured. She removed the cloak to revel a light blue dress that was just a few shades paler then her eyes. Embroidered with silver the delicate look was spoiled only by the coarse, worn brown leather belt around her waist where a sword was sheathed. Gojyo walked over and picked up a pear, biting into it lightly.

"Nope. Not poisoned." And sat down to steal a plate from Goku who started up yelling again. Jypsy looked at Hakkai and Sanzo

"You should eat. They way he's going there won't be much left if you wait."

"I'd like to get some things straightened out first." Sanzo said watching her. She sighed and opened her mouth the answer but a shrill voice broke in on her reply.

"Why wasn't I informed she was back! Get out of my way right now!" The voice screeched.

Whatever the reply was wasn't to the speaker's satisfaction because there was a growl, a series of thumbs, loud grunts of pain then finally two thuds. The flap flew open and a woman strode in and settled hands on her hips. Her hair was fairly short, just long enough to fall across her eyes and a peppered mix of golden brown and black. Her eyes were dark black and glittered with trouble. Her skin was bronzed, flawless and cinnamon colored. She cut an image wearing a pair of form fitting black pants and a black vest over a short white top that left just covered her breasts and left one arm for display while one long sleeve covered the other. She looked just a bit older then the demon boy had been, somewhere around the age of 16.

"You are in so much trouble Jypsy!" She growled. Jypsy smiled fondly.

"Liathe not now."

"Oh it's going to be now! I was suppose to be notified the second you got back. What if one of them tried something?" she pointed at the 4 men. "I would have gotten cut out of kicking their asses. That's would have been seriously unfair. I deserve an apology."

"No." Jypsy's response was curt and final. "If you're going to stay then sit down."

"No way." She leaned against the bow staff she carried. "I'm going to make sure these losers keep their place. If either of them move I'm going to beat the crap out of them." She turned to smile at Gojyo. "You wouldn't be thinking of escaping would you?"

"Not at the moment, no." "Please? As a special favor to me?" She lowered her lashes flirtatiously.

Gojyo's eyebrow went up. "When you put it that way...."

"Sit!" Sanzo snapped. Goyjo sighed and obeyed. Sanzo looked at Jypsy. "What do you want with us?"

Jypsy sat down on one of the cushions that littered the floor and gestured for them to do the same. "I owe you an explanation at least. I didn't want to do this. But it came down to an ultimatum. Either watch my village be destroyed or capture and hand over the Sanzo party."

She lifted her eyes and they blazed defiance. "And I will do anything necessary to protect my people."


End file.
